Nightingale At The Museum
by VibeQuake
Summary: My name is Florence Nightingale. I am the nurse known as The Lady With The Lamp, who founded modern nursing. I currently reside in a museum, where everything is run in a strict and very military-like fashion by three old night guards. But when they are replaced by one new night guard and the museum explodes into chaos, I question whether life in a museum is worth living.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: this is an AU. The general plot of the movies will be generally the same in this story but different in some places and some things will be drastically different. If something is different, assume it's on purpose.**

…

By now, I'm used to the sensation of breath returning to my lungs and feeling my limbs unfreeze. It has been happening to me for more years than I can count, though it must be close to half a century.

I am situated by day in the entrance hall of the Museum of Natural History, on the opposite side of the room to the exhibit of President Theodore Roosevelt, whom I keep my distance from during the day.

After waking up, I watch as Mr President (who insists on people calling him Teddy) gallops away on his horse, yelling something about being proud of America. I sigh. Sometimes I wish I wasn't in an American museum. After all, I am—or at least I _was_ —an English nurse. I still retain my English accent. I do not belong in a museum full of American exhibits. I have these thoughts every night, and I have expressed my concerns to the nightguards but they have never done anything about it, so for now I simply have to be content to stay in this American museum.

Speaking of nightguards…

"Attila!" barks Cecil Fredricks, the lead nightguard, as he strides across the hall towards the Hun leader. "What have I told you about staying in your assigned wing of the museum?"

Attila yells something in his native language, something that nobody in the room can understand. This makes Cecil mad. "You get back into your assigned wing right now or there will be big trouble!"

Attila glares at Cecil for a long time but eventually decides to retreat, muttering in his native language. I am not sure what "big trouble" means for Attila, but apparently it is fearsome enough for the fearless Hun to retreat. I feel a certain amount of respect for Cecil for that, but I am still not sure if fear and force are the best things to use to control a museum full of people and animals. Sometimes, people will get along better with love and compassion.

Then I hear the clip-clop of a horse in the distance. Next thing I know, Teddy has returned on his horse. Cecil immediately goes over to him, probably to tell him off for being too loud. Cecil doesn't like people making too much noise. Even if they can't control it. After all, who can control how loud a horse runs?

After Cecil is done, he strides out of the room, heading in the direction of the diorama room: a room I have heard of but have not yet visited. Teddy comes over to me and dismounts.

"Miss Nightingale," he says respectfully. "It's a lovely night indeed."

"Indeed," I agree warily. Teddy doesn't normally talk to me so I am a little cautious. "May I ask why you feel the need to make conversation with me?"

Teddy gives me a smile. "I'm simply catching up with the other exhibits."

I give him a look and he relents. "Alright, I was hoping you could help me."

I close my eyes briefly. "What did you have in mind?"

"There's a girl I like," Teddy says, sounding both awkward and wistful. "She is beautiful, and yet I have not been able to talk to her for fear of embarrassing myself."

"What does that have to do with me?" I ask, becoming slightly impatient.

Teddy twists his hands awkwardly. "I know we have been in this museum a very long time, but I have only recently discovered the room where this woman resides. And I…" He pauses, averting his eyes. "I have forgotten where this room is."

It is such a comical situation that I actually give a small laugh. Teddy scowls at me. I try and compose myself. "I'm sorry, but first of all: how is it that you've only recently discovered a room in the museum where you've never been? We have literally been alive for almost half a century."

"It is a large museum," Teddy says in his defence. "And besides, I usually stay on this single floor."

"Ah, so it's on one of the other floors?"

Teddy nods. "I just can't remember where."

I think. "Hmm…do you know her name?"

"There was an information plaque, but I didn't have time to read it," Teddy replies.

"Come on, then." I smile. "Let's find your woman."

I begin striding off. I hear Teddy protest a little about his horse, but eventually he catches up with me.

"Tell me about this woman," I say as we walk. "I have explored almost the entirety of the museum at some point or another. Maybe I'll know her if you describe her."

"Well, she has brown her in two long plaits," Teddy says, frowning as he recalls. "She wears a light brown dress and has the same colour boots."

The cogs in my head begin turning at that. I think I know who that might be. "Was she behind glass?"

"Yes!" Teddy suddenly says. "That's it! She was behind glass!"

"Sacagawea," I say aloud. "I know where her exhibit is."

"Sac-a-ge-way-a?" repeats Teddy. "I don't think I've heard of her."

We go up in the lift (elevator for you Americans) to Sacagawea's exhibit. As soon as I open the doors that have clearly been closed by Cecil, Teddy catches sight of the woman in the exhibit. He stares at her, and I know I'm right: the woman he has a crush on is Sacagawea.

"Go talk to her," I say, giving Teddy a nudge.

"I-I can't," Teddy stammers, stepping back. "She's so far out of my league…"

"Out of your league?" I repeat incredulously. "You were the president of the United States, for heaven's sake!"

Teddy still doesn't look sure. I am debating as to whether I should simply drag him away to avoid further embarrassment or push him closer to make him talk to her, but that choice is resolved for me when Cecil Fredricks comes barging through the door. "I thought I locked this!" he snaps, before he catches sight of Teddy and me standing inside the room. "You two, get out! You know you're not allowed to open doors that have already been closed!"

"There's nothing in here that can get out," I say. "Apart from the horses, and they're attached to the heavy carriage."

Cecil gets right up in my face. "Get out of here or I'll lock you up in the Hall of African Mammals! Don't think I won't."

I narrow my eyes. "You have no right to threaten me."

Teddy taps my shoulder. "Miss Nightingale-."

"Teddy and I were simply attempting to locate a fellow exhibit," I say. "The door was not even halfway open, and we were only going to stay for less than ten minutes, so really you have no reason to intimidate me. I do not appreciate being threatened at the best of times, let alone for doing nothing wrong."

Cecil looks like he's about to explode. He grabs my wrist and violently pulls me after him as he storms away. I hear Teddy protest briefly before he becomes out of earshot. I realise where we're going when we go down the stairs and reach the floor with the place Cecil said he was going to lock me up in. He reopens the gate to the Hall of African Mammals, pushes me in so hard that I fall over, and then recloses and relocks the gate. I push myself onto my elbow and watch as Cecil snaps through the gate, "I'll be back before sunrise to let you out. Try not to get mauled too much."

Then he leaves.

I sigh as I stand up. I probably won't survive for very long in this place, what with all the wild animals around. However, I dislike people who do not make good on their threats. And however much I dislike Cecil, he is a man of his word.


	2. Chapter 2

I've only been in the Hall of African Mammals for about a minute when the lions spot me. The lioness hops up first and prowls towards me, dropping low to the ground as she stalks me. I slowly press myself against the gate, my heart pounding and my courage failing. I just had time to curse myself for angering Cecil before the lioness pounced.

I would like to say I handle it with dignity and grace, but I'm afraid that doesn't happen. I would like to say I think out a careful plan to evade the pouncing lioness, but I'm afraid I scream like a banshee and take off running.

Unfortunately, I happen to run in the direction of the other wild cat: the lion, who is lying on his podium-thing. Fortunately, it doesn't seem terribly interested in me. It glances at me, yawns, and goes to sleep. Feeling thankful for this, I carry on past two zebras, hoping they will distract the lioness. No such luck. She doesn't even give them a glance.

Throwing myself against the gate on the other side, I scream for help. I don't want to get mauled by a lioness. There are some exhibits on the other side but they all give me a sympathetic look. The gate is locked and nobody has the key apart from the nightguards. I'm on my own.

Turning, I see the lioness prowling towards me. Knowing this is it, I slump to the ground and cover my face, squeezing my eyes tightly shut.

Then I hear a human yell and an angry roar. I open my eyes to see a human in a white suit with a fishbowl on its head tackle the lioness away from me. I quickly look towards the lion, but he doesn't even seem interested, let alone annoyed that someone just attacked its mate. As I stand up slowly, the figure throws the lioness against the podium. The angry big cat growls at the human, before pacing back to its mate and lying down next to it.

My heart pounding, I slowly walk towards the figure, who removes its fishbowl to reveal a handsome young face, perhaps the same age as me. He gives me a boyish smile and sighed happily. "Nothing like wrestling a lion to make you feel really alive."

"It's a…" I croak, having to stop mid-sentence to catch my breath after my near death experience. I sit down in front of the low wall that perimeters the exhibit that holds the small jungle and lean against it. "It's a lioness, actually."

"Oh." The man looks at the sleeping lions. "Anyway." He looks back at me and grins. Then he comes and sits next to me. Smiling at me, he holds out his hand. "Name's Neil. Neil Armstrong. I'm an astronaut."

"Florence Nightingale," I say, shaking his hand politely while wondering what an "astronaut" is. "I'm a military nurse."

"Oh, the military?" Neil frowns. "Wait a minute…were you a nurse during the Crimean War?"

I nod. "Yes. How did you know?"

He stares at me as if seeing me for the first time. "Florence N-Nightingale! You're really famous!"

I blink. "I am?"

"You're the reason hospitals improved their conditions! Man…I had a buddy in the army. He came home one day in 1956, honourably discharged after he got a crippled leg. He said that a nurse told him that if he had received his wound a hundred years earlier, he would have died of infection. Apparently, a nurse called Florence Nightingale made the hospitals improve their conditions so that fewer people would die of infection."

I feel a lump rise in my throat as my eyes threaten to overflow with tears. "P-people are still using my work in 1956?"

"People still use your work today!" Neil enthuses, giving me a large smile. "Your work has prevented millions of people from dying of infected wounds. Without you, causalities from war would be a lot greater."

I smile, unable to stop tears dripping down my face, so touched at what Neil has said. I cannot believe that my work in the 1850s is still being used a hundred and fifty years later. I would never have believed that at the time, but now…it feels good to know that I have helped history.

"So…can I ask a question?" I ask.

Neil nods. "Sure."

"What exactly are you doing locked up in the Hall of African Mammals?"

"Well, the answer to that is simple, and I shall phrase it in the form of a question: what are _you_ doing locked up in the Hall of African Mammals?"

"Cecil threw me in here for insubordination," I reply immediately.

Neil gestures to me. "Same with me. I practically live in here. According to Cecil, I'm a "rebellious daredevil who doesn't respect boundaries or rules"."

"Cecil really hates us," I chuckle.

"He hates us when we're being loud or rude," Neil chuckles. "But without him, this museum would have collapsed long ago. Do you remember the first nightguard we had?"

"I remember him but not what he looks like," I reply. "Was his name…something Smith?"

"Tony Smith," confirms Neil. "Old guy, about seventy. Nearly had a heart attack when he saw we came to life."

"We had Cecil literally the next day," I remember. "Poor Tony Smith couldn't handle the shock."

"Even if he could, he wouldn't have been a very good nightguard for us," sighed Neil. "He wasn't physically fit or able and he lacked the authoritative voice and personality."

"If Cecil hadn't come, we probably wouldn't have survived," I say. "As much as I hate him, I do respect that he saved the museum and makes sure no riots begin, which is a very, VERY distinct possibility in this museum."

All of a sudden, there comes a crash from outside and immediate yelling.

"That was creepily on cue," comments Neil.

Then I hear a familiar voice call, "Miss Nightingale!"

I turn as I get up off the floor and find Teddy Roosevelt standing by the gate.

"Teddy!" I gasp, rushing to the gate. "What's happening?"

"The mammoths and the ostriches got loose and are running rampant downstairs," Teddy explains. "The nightguards are downstairs, trying to keep a lid on it. Anyway, I got the key." He holds up a keyring with many keys on it.

"Where'd you even get this?" I demand.

Teddy looks both sheepish and ashamed. "I may or may not have decked Cecil."

"And Cecil thinks _I'm_ rebellious" says Neil, coming to stand next to me.

Teddy hurriedly unlocks the gate, waits until we're both out, and then closes and locks it again.

"You're going to be in so much trouble with Cecil either later or tomorrow," I say worriedly to my friend.

"I know," Teddy says. "I'll just have to face it."

"Thanks for the breakout," Neil says, before his face changes. "Ah…y-you're the president of the United States…"

"Theodore Roosevelt," Teddy says enthusiastically. "Nice to meet you. Call me Teddy."

"I-I'm Neil Armstrong."

Teddy stares at him. "You're the famous Neil Armstrong? The astronaut?"

"Please can somebody tell me what an astronaut is?" I ask.

"This man is a national hero!" Teddy gazes in wonder at Neil. "Upon request, I was given copies of a newspaper from every year since I died. The one from 1966…amazing, just amazing! I can't believe you're here and I never knew it!"

"I've been locked up in here most nights," admits Neil. "Rebellious, you know?"

"Cecil hates rebellious," remarks Teddy.

"Tell me about it."

"Excuse me!" I interrupt snappily. "Can somebody please tell me what an astronaut is and what you did in 1966?"

Neil turns to me, hopefully to answer both my questions, before we all hear the trumpeting sound of a mammoth, and it sounds like it's coming from this floor rather than below us.

"The nightguards must have rounded up the escaped animals," Teddy states.

"Which means they'll be up here soon," I add.

"Which means we should probably run," Neil adds.

The three of us turn and run.


	3. Chapter 3

As we run downstairs, I see one of the other three nightguards—I think it's Gus?—angrily scolding a civil war puppet creature who has managed to find himself lost and away from his exhibit. Not for the first time, I find myself sighing. I know deep down that discipline and order in this way is good, but I can't help wishing sometimes that we had a gentler nightguard, one who would try to help a lost exhibit instead of scolding them.

We reach the bottom of the stairs and I see an ostrich still loose in the main hall, annoying Rexy, who is snapping at it.

"If the dinosaur gets mad, we're all dead," Neil says, rather dismally in my opinion.

"I agree," Teddy says.

"Stop with all the gloomy talk," I scold. "We're only dead if Rexy decides to attack."

Of course, Rexy decides to attack. He swats the ostrich aside with his tail and charges towards the three of us. This being the second time an angry animal has charged at me in the last hour, I try to vary my reaction slightly, but I'm sorry to say that my reaction remains unchanged. In other words, I scream and run.

Neil and Teddy rush in opposite directions, leaving me to dive through Rexy's legs. I roll over before coming to stop, propped up on my left elbow. The dinosaur skids to a halt and towers over me, snapping his jaws menacingly. "Wh-where's your bone?" I ask nervously. "R-Rexy, where did your bone go?"

I hear Neil ask Teddy quietly, "What's she talking about?"

"I haven't the foggiest," Teddy says back.

I talk directly to Rexy, but my words are for the two men: "I'm continuing to talk to you, Rexy, but I'm hoping that the two idiots over there are going to stop standing there gormlessly and FIND THE BLOODY BONE!" I snap through gritted teeth.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Neil springing into action, to my relief. Teddy doesn't move, which is quite odd, since he's supposed to be the fearless hunter out of the three of us. I turn my head slightly to look at Teddy, which is a grave mistake. I have taken one of my eyes off Rexy, and he chooses that moment to charge. I roll out of the way as the angry dinosaur skids past me, just missing me.

"Throw the bone!" I yell.

"WHAT BONE?!" Neil shrieks back, sounding panicked.

"Just look for a big bone!" I yell. "How hard can that be?!"

"I'VE BEEN LOCKED IN THE HALL OF AFRICAN MAMMALS FOR THE LAST FIFTY YEARS! I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO BE DOING HERE!"

"And whose fault is that?!" Teddy's voice yells from somewhere behind me.

"HOW MANY GIANT BONES CAN YOU SEE?!" I shriek at Neil.

"Several hundred!" Neil yells back. "BUT UNFORTUNATELY THEY'RE ALL ATTACHED TO A GIANT ANGRY DINOSAUR!"

Luckily, I spot the bone lying on top of the receptionist's desk. Running towards Rexy, I slide under his legs and crash unceremoniously into the desk on the other side. I quickly grab the bone off the side of the desk and throw it as hard as I can to the other side of the room. The moment Rexy turns to chase after it, I vault over the side of the desk—which isn't easy while wearing a long nurse's dress, as I am—and race for the stairs, Neil and Teddy right behind me. The three of us run up the stairs and stop at the top. We crouch down and peer through the wooden railings, anxiously watching to see what Rexy will do. The dinosaur looks around for us but doesn't see us, clearly making him cross. He roars loudly, but eventually he gives up and tosses his bone at the wall, making a dent. I wince at that. "Hope Cecil doesn't have to explain that to anyone."

"Speak of the devil," Neil says, looking behind us.

I grimace as I hear Cecil's barking voice behind us. "Hope he's not too mad at us," I comment, before turning to face the fire. "Cecil, what's going on?"

Cecil doesn't even seem that bothered that Neil and I are out of the Hall of African Mammals. He goes straight for Teddy. "You hit me!" he yells. "Now you're going to pay!"

Teddy steps back as I try and get between the two. "Calm down," I urge. "Cecil, you're supposed to be the authority here."

"You didn't even face me to do it!" Cecil shouts at Teddy. "You coward!"

"Cecil!" I snap.

"He's just trying to goad me into a fight," Teddy says calmly. "He won't goad me, no matter what he says."

"Oh yeah?" Cecil barks a laugh. "All Americans are fat and lazy, bald eagles are the stupidest-looking birds to ever live, and America most definitely does NOT represent freedom."

Neil immediately pulls me out of the way as Teddy flies at Cecil, punching him square in the jaw. Neil and I step back in alarm as this turns into a full-on fight, with both men hitting each other as hard as they can.

"We need to stop this," I say in alarm. "One of them is going to get seriously hurt."

"Do YOU want to get in between them right now?" Neil asks.

"Yes," I reply, quickly charging between the two fighting men. Ducking Cecil's fist, I push Teddy backwards so hard that he almost falls down the stairs. Then I face Cecil and try to block Teddy from his view. "Cecil, please. Set the rest of us a good example."

Cecil steps back, away from me. "You lot'll need so much more than just a good example before you'll ever be worth anything to me."

I feel like that should sting like an insult, but all it does is make me feel empty inside. "Control yourself," I scold. "Goading exhibits into fights is not how a nightguard should react."

"That's true," Cecil admits. "However, I've been wanting to fight him for a long time and I think this may be the last opportunity I get, so I took it."

"The last?" I repeat. "What do you mean?"

But Cecil just smirks, turns, and stalks off.

"What did he mean by that?" Neil asks from behind me.

"I don't know," I reply. "But I have a feeling we're going to find out very soon."

…

 **Author's Note: the views on Americans and America expressed in this chapter by Cecil are in no way supposed to reflect my own views or the views of anyone in particular. Please do not get offended, as it was never meant to be taken seriously.**


	4. Chapter 4

When I wake up the next night, I feel that something is different. Looking up at the mezzanine, I see that many exhibits who should be locked up are running wild, including several wild animals and about sixty percent of the civil war puppets, who are already discharging their firearms.

I automatically duck to the floor as a volley of shots fly over my head. _Man…these guys can NOT aim very well…_

I look up just in time to see a man in a nightguard's uniform sprint up the stairs. I frown. That is not Cecil, nor Reginald, nor Gus. What on Earth happened to them and who is this younger man?

Unfortunately, I have no time to find out. I see at least two angry big cats prowling down the stairs, and I really do not want a repeat of last night. I flee through the corridors before anything can see or stop me.

I don't stop running until I end up by the Easter Island Head, which I hide behind when I hear the yelling of Huns.

"What you do, Dum Dum?" demands EIH.

"I did nothing!," I say truthfully. "The museum's gone nuts! Have you seen Cecil, Reginald, or Gus?"

"No usual Dum Dums today," EIH tells me. "I did see younger Dum Dum run through earlier. Younger Dum Dum did not bring me gum gum."

"You know how you get with the gum gum," I warn. "That is why nobody gives you any gum gum."

"Dum Dum," retorts EIH, as if it's some great insult. "You Dum Dum and NOT my friend."

"I will try to live with the disappointment," I say dryly, peering out from my hiding spot.

The Huns seem to be gone, so I leave the safety of EIH and venture out onto the mezzanine, peering at the chaos below.

And it IS chaos.

Mixed with the animals running amok, there is a full-scale re-enactment of the civil war going on around it. And if that wasn't bad enough, Rexy is smacking people around with his bone, which is gripped firmly in his mouth.

"What's happened to this museum?" I whisper in horror.

"I believe we have a new nightguard," says a dry voice from behind me.

I turn my head, already knowing who is there. "Teddy," I sigh. "Does that mean Cecil and the others are gone?"

"Gone," Teddy confirms sombrely, coming to stand next to me at the railing. "Fired and replaced with one new guy."

I stare at my friend in disbelief. "McPhee thinks that one guy alone can do a job that three guys were struggling to do together for fifty years?"

Teddy shrugs. "Apparently. But I think we should give him a chance. He can't be that bad a guy."

I raise an eyebrow. "Sure, and this isn't total anarchy." I gesture to the floor below us.

"Alright, I agree it looks bad, but this is his first night. Even Cecil-."

"Cecil would have screamed at everyone until they went back to their assigned sectors," I interrupt.

"Even Cecil was terrible on his first night," Teddy finishes firmly. "It's not fair to suddenly ask so much of him on his first night."

"I bet he didn't even know that we come to life."

Teddy gives me a look. "Miss Ni-."

"Florence!" calls Neil's voice.

We turn inward to see him running towards us. He stops in front of me and bends over, resting his hands on his thighs, panting. "That new nightguard nearly got dismembered by the Huns."

I groan aloud. "He is going to get himself killed on the first night."

Teddy grimaces. "I'll go and see if I can help him in any way."

He walks away, leaving Neil and me together.

"Typical," I growl. "The DAY AFTER we have that conversation about how Cecil is the best nightguard for this museum, Cecil's fired and we get a spineless new guy who has no clue what he's doing!"

"Calm down," Neil says, massaging my shoulder with his hand.

"But it's not fair!" I whine, clearing my throat when I realise how childlike I sound. "I mean, it's unfair that they had to fire Cecil, because he was the only one keeping this museum in order."

"By goading people into fights," Neil mutters darkly, clearly thinking back to last night.

"By preventing riots." I throw my arm out, gesturing once again to the carnage below me. "Like THIS one. This is exactly what I knew would happen if Cecil were to leave!"

"Cecil wasn't exactly young, you know," Neil reminds me. "He'd have had to be replaced at some point."

"Yes, but not by a complete idiot!" I snap. "Cecil should have spent at the very least WEEKS, if not MONTHS, training a replacement, so that this exact thing doesn't happen."

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now," Neil says. "Now, we should probably duck before that guy's bayonet hits us."

We both quickly drop to our knees, and the bayonet sails over our heads and its sharp point embeds itself in the wall.

"This is getting out of control," I sigh. "We need to find that nightguard. Any ideas?"

"He's probably trying to lock up the Hall of African Mammals right now," Neil says. "Wouldn't you?"

I nod thoughtfully. "You're right: I would be. But there's also the diorama room. If the miniatures aren't locked up, they could run rampant. Remember what happened when twenty-two Mayans got loose in the museum once?"

We both pause and shudder, both of us remembering the incident.

"I think Attila still has tiny darts stuck in him somewhere," Neil says. "He was hit pretty well, wasn't he?"

"I don't think you should ever mention that to him, though," I advise him. "Or he might try to dismember you."

"Yeah. Anyway, you're right too. If I was that nightguard, I'd either go to the Hall of African Mammals or the diorama room."

"Split up," I decide. "You go to the Hall of African Mammals-."

"Just like every other night of my life," Neil says.

"-and I'll go to the diorama room," I finish, ignoring him. "Okay?"

Neil nods. "Okay. Good luck, Florrie."

"Florrie?" I repeat, freezing.

Neil also freezes. "Oh…I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't realise that…"

"Oh, no, it's fine." I give myself a little shake. "I've just never been called that before. You can call me Florrie if you want."

Neil smiles genuinely. "Nah. Florence is such a nice name; why shorten it?"

I blush, to my embarrassment. "Good luck to you too."

We split up.


	5. Chapter 5

I've never been to the diorama room before, but I know where it is, so I get there quickly. The nearest civilisation to me is the Wild West. Cowboys on horses, railway tracks, and sandy hills. Classic era.

A lone cowboy on a horse rides to the front of the exhibit and addresses me suspiciously, "Hey, stranger! Whadoya think yer doin'?"

"I-I only wanted to introduce myself," I reply. "I'm Florence Nightingale."

The cowboy's face creases in thought. "Yeah…I think I heard o' ya. Yer that nurse, right?"

I nod, honestly just happy to be recognised at all. "Yes, I am. And you must be Jedediah the cowboy."

Jed looks pleased. "Ya heard o' me?"

"You're very famous around here," I say truthfully. It's true that I have heard of Jed, only it's not the historical Jed that I've heard of; it's the antics of this miniature version of Jed that I have heard of. "I like your horse."

Jed grins. "Ya know exactly what ta say, dontcha?"

I blink. "What?"

"Nothin'. So yer a nurse, huh?"

"Yes." I nod. "During the Crimean War."

"Never heard o' it," Jed says bluntly. "Anyway, now yer here, can ya settle a debate fer us?"

I frown, confused. "Uh, okay. What kind of debate?"

"Chase thinks we shoul' expand the railway that way." Jed points towards the wall that serves as the border between his exhibit and the Romans' exhibit. Then he jerks his thumb towards a brown-haired cowboy standing a little way off with his arms folded. "But I think we shoul' expand the other way. What do _ya_ think?"

I think for a moment. If they try to expand in EITHER direction, they're going to hit a wall and not be able to tunnel through. "W-well, the Roman exhibit is on the other side of the wall that you want to expand through, so-."

"O' course!" Jed exclaimed, interrupting me. "Octavius's exhibit! That changes everythin'."

I pause, hoping he'll elaborate.

Jed turns to Chase. "We're gonna expand yer way. We can expand the railway AN' teach those Romans a lesson. Two birds with one stone."

"Whoa, whoa!" I wave my hands. "Wh-what exactly is happening?"

"Thanks fer the idea, Miss Nightingale," smirks Jed.

I groan and turn back the way I came. As I begin walking, I see the younger nightguard come into the room and flop down on the bench. I edge over to the Roman exhibit and watch from there as he is attacked by a Mayan patrol. I sigh. Clearly he was not fast enough to lock up the miniatures—the Mayans especially—as well as the rest of the museum. Which leads me to wonder what exactly he was doing in the time between the museum closed tonight and we all came alive. Was he just messing about? Does he not take the job seriously?

I sigh heavily and turn towards the Roman exhibit. The Romans are milling about, some fighting, some talking. I see the General Octavius—a historical figure whom I recognise—standing outside a large, fancy-looking building. I awkwardly stand at the edge until a legionary spots me and draws his sword. "Hey!" he yells, running up to me and jabbing me with his sword. It only hurts as badly as a jab with a pin, but it still stings. I take a step away.

"Rufus, stand down," Octavius commands, walking down the steps of the building.

The legionary steps back as Octavius approaches me. "I have not seen you before," the general says. "Who are you?"

Even though this man is a miniature, I still feel humbled. He is a very famous and respected man, and my breath is catching in my throat upon meeting him. He has this kind of powerful aura that makes me meekly curtsey. "I-my name is Florence Nightingale, General," I say. "I only wish to make your acquaintance."

Octavius gives me a welcoming smile. "Miss Nightingale. What is it that you do?"

"Oh, I am a nurse," I reply. "During the Crimean War. It-it is after your time."

"I believe I may have heard of this war," Octavius mused. "You are a nurse, you say? Our medic Athena would love it if you could show her some more modern medical practises some time."

I smile. "Of course. So how is life at the museum for you?"

Octavius's smile disappears. "Not good," he admits. "Every night, one of those guards closes that metal curtain there and locks us in here. We've never been allowed to roam free."

"That's harsh," I comment, though I can see Cecil's reasoning for this. If the miniatures WERE allowed to run around like the other exhibits, they'd be in danger of being crushed. Besides, it would be very hard to make sure that EVERY SINGLE ONE of the miniatures gets back to their exhibit by the end of the night. "But I see that you have not been locked up tonight."

"Yes, we were just discussing that," Octavius said. "Do you know why?"

"There is a new nightguard," I tell him, gesturing in the direction of the bench he is sitting on.

Octavius raises an eyebrow. "Interesting. What happened to those three older men?"

I shrug. "I don't know. But I have seen this younger man, and he is so far proving to be very incompetent."

Octavius turns to face his men. "Men, this could be a fantastic opportunity for us!" he enthuses. He points at a nearby soldier. "Kaius, gather the armourers and smiths." As that soldier runs off, Octavius points at the legionary who threatened me earlier. "Rufus, gather as many legionaries as you can."

"Wh-what's going on?" I ask tentatively. "What are you doing?"

"Expansion," Octavius replies, pointing at the wall to his right, my left. "We wish to expand our great city. Flavius!" Octavius barks at a random man, one who does not look like a legionary. "Go and get Athena and make sure you have enough medical supplies."

"A-are you going to attack someone?" I ask.

Octavius gives me a curt nod. "Indeed we are. Those heathens next to us-." He jerks his thumb to the right. "-are practically begging to be conquered. This is what Rome does best, young lady, so please stand back and let us work."

I nod respectfully and take a few steps back. Then I hear sounds of a commotion coming from the Wild West exhibit. I turn and gasp, not prepared for what I see.

The nightguard has been tipped onto the exhibit, with his head resting on the tracks. The cowboys are trying to "ram him" with the train. Part of me wants to stop this, but the stronger part of me is too scared to even go closer, so I edge round to the Mayan exhibit and watch from there.

He eventually manages to free himself, but I can see what he has only just noticed: the enormous legion of Romans surrounding him.

I listen as he explains that he's not a giant; he's just a regular-sized human.

"Silence!" Octavius yells. "The Roman Empire knows no boundaries!"

"Don' you do it, son," Jed warns.

"Do what?" the nightguard asks.

"Octavius," Jed says, pointing to the Roman army.

"Don't do what?!" he yelps, clearly nervous.

"UNLEASH HELL!" shrieks Octavius.

Immediately, hundreds of catapults go off and fire their payloads at the nightguard, who hops around in a panic. I'm on the verge of rushing forwards to help, but something knocks me backwards.

It's a horse.

"Climb aboard, boy."

It's Teddy!

The nightguard stares up at him.

"Take the hand, son," advises Teddy, who has his hand held out towards the poor nightguard, who takes his advice, and Tex gallops away.

As I run after them, the last thing I hear from the miniatures is Jed screaming, "That's right. You better run, boy! You hear Jedediah? That moustachioed horseman ain't always gonna be there to protect you, you hear me?!"


	6. Chapter 6

By the time I catch up to Teddy and the nightguard, they're back in the foyer. As the nightguard thanks Teddy, I shyly approach.

"Teddy, are you okay?" I ask. "I saw what happened."

"Oh, I'm fine, dear lady," Teddy says, smiling at me. "It is Lawrence here who had quite the fright, isn't that right?"

"Lawrence" looks awkward. "Yeah…thanks for that, Teddy." He turns to me, puts on a smile, and holds out his hand. "Hey. I'm Larry Daley."

I frown at his hand until he awkwardly retracts it. "I am Florence Nightingale," I say.

"It's nice to meet you, Florence."

"But you may call me Miss Nightingale," I add frostily, causing Larry to rub the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I gather you are not very competent in this department."

"Miss Nightingale!" Teddy snaps. "That was rude!"

"She's right, though. You're right," Larry tells me. "That WAS kinda rude, but you're right. It's my first day on the job, and frankly, I have no idea what I signed up for but it wasn't this."

"So you'll be leaving soon, yes?"

"If I didn't know any better, Miss Nightingale, I'd say you were trying to get rid of him," Teddy says sternly.

I smile sweetly. "Not at all. I merely wish to be under the watchful eye of a competent nightguard; that is all."

Larry grimaced. "Okay, that hurt a bit, but you're still right. I'm not competent, but that's only because it's my first day, so could you please give me a break?"

"Only if you break up this riot," I say, gesturing up to the mezzanine, where the rebellion rages on. "But that might also break several of your bones, so perhaps you'd better not. Wouldn't want another nightguard to be carted out of here on a stretcher."

Larry looks at me, terrified.

"She is teasing you," Teddy says, looking sternly at me.

"Yes, of course I am." I pause. "The last time a nightguard broke a bone here was over two weeks ago, and it happened to be his neck, so you're probably fine."

Larry looks like he's about to faint.

"Miss Nightingale-!"

I hurriedly interrupt, "I'll stop, I promise. Anyway, I had better leave you to your nightguard duties." As I walk away, I stop, turn, and grin. "By the way, Attila and the Huns like to play around in the front desk. They're probably on their way here right now. Bye!"

I quickly run before Teddy can say anything else.

I stop in the hallway just before EIH. I know deep down inside that what I said and did was fairly mean, but spending half a century practically cowering under Cecil's rule has made me a little less well-disposed towards nightguards.

Glancing back around, I see Teddy and Larry walking away. I curiously go back into the foyer and follow them from a safe distance. They appear to be talking, though I can't hear what they're saying. Eventually, they change direction. Even more curious now, I follow.

I follow them all the way to an exhibit I've never seen before, which is very rare. It's Ancient Egyptian-looking, with jackals guarding the entrance. I hide behind a wall as Teddy and Larry go into a room at the end of the hall, which holds a sarcophagus and a golden tablet on the wall.

"There's the source of all this commotion," Teddy says, pointing to the golden tablet. "The Tablet of Ahkmenrah. Arrived here in 1952 from the Nile expedition. On that night, everything in this museum came to life. And every night since."

Wow…that's a revelation for me. I have never seen or heard of this tablet before, and yet it supposedly holds the power to bring us to life? Is that why it happens?

I've been alive for almost fifty years, and in all that time, I've never known exactly why everything comes to life. But now I do. And it's this…this tablet that does it.

I hide as Teddy and Larry come back out, talking about something that I can't fully hear, and then leave. When I'm sure they're gone, I go into the smaller room. Immediately, the coffin begins to violently shake, and a loud screaming sound starts up. I give my own brief scream, pressing myself against the wall.

After a few minutes, the noise stops. I fearfully edge forward and tap on the top of the coffin. "H-hello?"

There's a pause. Then I hear an accented voice say something in a foreign language.

"I-I don't speak Egyptian," I stammer. "I-I'm English."

Another pause follows this. Then I hear the same voice say, "Who are you?" in English.

I blink in surprise. "Florence Nightingale. H-how can you speak English?"

"I went to Cambridge University," replies the voice.

I hum in thought. "That's…w-well done you," is all I can say. "What is your name?"

"I am Pharaoh Ahkmenrah, fourth king of the fourth king, ruler of the land of my fathers."

I pause, unsure of how to respond to that properly. "Sounds…fancy. Can I call you Ahk?"

"If you wish." Ahkmenrah sounds amused. "Nobody has ever called me that before. If I may, your voice is very lovely."

I blush. "Thank you. So is yours." I wince. "F-forget I said that, that was stupid."

I can almost hear the smile in Ahkmenrah's voice: "It is okay. So tell me about yourself, Florence. May I call you Florence?"

"Yeah, or Florrie," I say.

"Florrie…" Ahkmenrah repeats. "I like that. I will call you Florrie."

I blush again. "O-okay."

"So tell me something about yourself, Florrie. Why are you an exhibit here?"

"W-well, I'm a nurse. I helped people during the Crimean War and improved the appalling conditions in military hospitals."

"Appalling conditions?"

"Unbelievably appalling," I sigh. "But I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to improve them. And apparently, my work is still being used nowadays."

"I do not doubt it. You sound like a very caring person. It does take a special kind of person to become a medic."

"I guess," I say, sighing. "I am sorry, but I have to go. It will be sunrise soon."

Ahkmenrah sounds quite disappointed. "Very well. May I request your presence here tomorrow too?"

I smile. "You may. Goodbye, Ahk. I will see you tomorrow."

"Goodbye, Florrie."

As I walk away, I feel that the smile on my face is still there.


	7. Chapter 7

I get back to the foyer in time to see Teddy and Larry sorting all the exhibits out. I watch, slightly impressed, as Larry sternly tells the civil war puppets to get back to their room. And to my even greater surprise, they obey him at once.

"Hey," Neil says from behind me, making me jump. "Where've you been?"

"Finding Larry," I say, indicating up onto the mezzanine. "I think he's slowly growing more and more competent by the minute."

Neil chuckles. "Maybe he'll be the next Cecil."

I chuckle back, and then sigh as I remember what I overheard Larry telling Teddy. "I don't think he's coming back. He wasn't ready for this, and I don't know if he ever will be."

"That's a bit harsh," Neil comments.

I shrug helplessly. "It's the truth. I heard him telling Teddy that he probably won't be coming back, and I believe him. He was thrown into this completely unprepared, though that was entirely Cecil's fault. I can't believe he didn't tell Larry about us coming to life. I'd have expected the poor man to have a heart attack, though, so I suppose that is one thing in his favour." I stop suddenly. "Hey, did you know that we are brought to life by a magical Egyptian tablet in the Ancient Egyptian exhibit?"

Neil stares at me. "Uh…no, I can't say I knew that. I always thought us coming to life just…kind of… _happened."_

"That's what I thought too," I say, turning my palm up. "But apparently there's a golden tablet that is the thing that brings us to life."

"How do you know that?"

"I followed Teddy and Larry from the diorama room to the Ancient Egyptian exhibit and talked to the pharaoh there."

Neil smirks. "Well, at least one of us had a productive night."

"Why?" I ask. "What happened in the Hall of African Mammals?"

Neil holds up his hand and counts off the incidents on his fingers as he names them. "Kicked by a zebra, urinated on by the monkey, nearly died in a stampede, mauled by two lions, had helmet stolen by a giraffe who tried to eat it, and nearly locked in the hall by the nightguard."

I bite my lip worriedly. "Are you okay?"

Neil attempts to play it off. "Yeah, sure. Just sounds like you got the better end of the stick, that's all."

"Neil, if I had known that that would happen-."

"But you didn't, so it's okay," Neil interrupts. "Now, we need to get back to our places. It'll be sunrise soon."

I nod in agreement. After a few seconds pause, I reach out and hug Neil. He hesitates in surprise, but he soon hugs me back. Giving me a smirk and a casual salute, he heads back to his exhibit.

A movement catching my eye, I look round to see Teddy getting back on his horse, with Larry standing watching him. He draws his sword and freezes. Or, at least, Larry and I THINK he freezes. I turn away, but a moment later, I hear Teddy yell, "BULLY!" and Larry screams.

I burst out laughing as I climb onto my pedestal. I know it's mean, but Larry's reaction really amused me.

I get into position and prepare to freeze. Just as I do so, I see Larry talking to one of the miniatures—it's Jed. Somehow, the tiny cowboy has managed to land himself in Larry's jacket pocket. I stifle a grin as I hear the click of his fake gun.

I hop off my pedestal and go over to Larry. "Would you like me to return him?" I ask. "Surely you have more important things to do than deal with a rogue miniature."

"HEY!" complains Jed.

Larry shakes head. "No, I-DUCK!"

Being a military nurse, my reflexes are excellent, if I may say so myself. So as soon as Larry yells, I drop to one knee, keeping my head down. Larry does the same. Rexy leaps over our heads and lands heavily on the other side, clomping over to his podium.

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall," Jed comments.

I hold out my hand for the miniature cowboy, but Larry shakes his head again. "No, I can handle this."

I fold my arms dubiously. "Sure?"

"I'm the nightguard," Larry says. "Even though I wasn't prepared for this, it's my duty to make sure all exhibits get back to their exhibits before sunrise. Teddy made that perfectly clear, so even if I'm not coming back tomorrow, this is still my job today."

With that, he strides off.

I stare after him, the hint of a smile on my face. I'm proud of Larry if just for that last speech. If I were in his position, I would have gladly and gratefully let someone else clear up, especially if I was not planning to continue the job. _"That's tomorrow's problem, and I won't be here tomorrow,"_ is probably what I would think if I were in his position.

But Larry is not like that.

I climb back onto my podium and get into position. The last thought in my mind before I freeze is, _it's a shame Larry is leaving. I would have liked to see him grow in skill and character._


	8. Chapter 8

The next night when I wake up, the first thing I see is Rexy racing across the foyer, chasing his bone, which has been tied to a small remote-controlled car. I raise an eyebrow. It seems that Mr Daley has come back after all. Who else would think of that?

I step down from my pedestal and glance round the room. Past the rotating globe, I can see that Teddy is gone. With nobody else to talk to, I decide to go find Neil. However, I don't entirely know where his exhibit is, so I decide to start by asking Easter Island Head, since he knows where to find pretty much everything in this museum. Also, he sees everything, which might be useful for me if I want to know what Larry is up to.

I walk up the stairs, hearing the roars of a couple of lions. Either they're really loud or they're out of their exhibit, considering how far away I am from the Hall of African Mammals. That is worrying.

As soon as I reach EIH, I can tell that something is different. I can't tell exactly what it is, until a massive pink bubble is emitted from EIH's mouth.

"What the…?"

"Dum-dum bring me gum-gum," EIH says proudly.

"I…can see that…" I hesitate. "Exactly WHY did he bring you gum?"

"Me ask for gum-gum, so dum-dum bring me some-some."

I groan. We are NEVER supposed to give EIH gum. Surely Teddy must have told Larry…? But then again…

I sigh. I REALLY need to tell Larry the ultimate dos and don'ts here…

I move on quickly before EIH can blow another bubble. Another piece of Larry's handiwork I spot is that the Neanderthals now have a piece of metal that looks like a modern lighter.

Oh my God, LARRY! Why would you WILLINGLY give FIRE to NEANDERTHALS?! Just because they've been searching for it for two hundred thousand years, doesn't mean you can give it to them! THEY ARE NEANDERTHALS!

I breathe rhythmically in and out to calm myself. Getting angry at Larry when he's not here is illogical and a waste of time. I reluctantly leave the Neanderthals to their fire—although with hindsight, I should have confiscated their newfound source of fire—and rush through the corridor, simply trying to find Teddy or Neil now.

And luckily, I bump into the latter in the corridor.

"Hey, have you seen some weird things?" Neil asks without saying hello.

"If seeing Rexy chasing a bone that's attached to a little remote controlled car counts as weird, then yes," I reply. "Why, what have you seen?"

"Dexter the monkey playing with a set of plastic keys," Neil says, frowning. "I think this is Larry's work."

"Perhaps he decided to come back after all," I comment. "In which case, let's go check what other damage he's done."

"Damage?"

"He gave the Neanderthals a cigarette lighter," I snap in disgust. "HOW could he think that is a good idea?"

Neil wrinkles his nose. "I think perhaps he's just trying to do the things that he thinks will do most good. Essentially, he's giving the exhibits exactly what they want."

"More like what will make them shut up and leave him alone," I snort.

"That's a very negative way of looking at things," Neil comments.

"I don't care." I huff. "I'm going to the diorama room."

"Why?" Neil asks.

I give him a glare and flounce off. I hear his footsteps as he follows me, struggling to catch up. "Florence, why are you going to the diorama room?"

 _Because I want to know if that idiot nightguard has given them free-run of the museum,_ I think, but I cannot be bothered to say that aloud.

As soon as I reach the diorama room, I see that the Mayans have been locked up. That's good; that's very good. The Mayans are arguably the most dangerous of the miniatures civilisations, mostly because they cannot speak or understand English as the Westerners and Romans can. Therefore, they cannot be reasoned with, ordered around, or verbally communicated with in any way. Besides, they go around shooting people with miniature blowdarts. Need I say more?

However, glancing round to the right, I see that the other two dioramas haven't been locked up. In fact, Jed and Octavius are standing on the bench in the middle of the room, overseeing their people being lowered down off their exhibits to join their leaders in the middle of the room.

"What's going on here?" I demand.

"Gigantor says we can run free," Jed replies without even looking at me. "So we're doin' jus' that."

"We would not expect a woman like yourself to understand," Octavius says breezily.

I bristle. "EXCUSE me?"

Jed seems to sense that Octavius shouldn't have said that. He cringes, but Octavius simply glances at me disdainfully, as if unsure of why I am still here. "What would a woman such as yourself know of war?" he says disdainfully.

At that, I glare so ferociously that it actually feels like daggers are shooting out of my eyes. I lunge forwards and grab the tiny Roman general in my fist, closing it just enough to not crush him.

Octavius begins to angrily protest, but I silence him by shaking him.

"Let me tell you exactly what "a woman like myself" has done. All the women in my extended family expected me to get married young and have children and be the perfect wife and mother, but I rebelled against that idea and worked extremely hard to educate myself, MYSELF, mind you, in the art and science of nursing, in the face of opposition from my family and the restrictive social code for affluent young English women of my time. I rejected a marriage proposal from the man I loved, just so that I would not be distracted from nursing. I travelled to many, many lands, the furthest of which were Greece and Egypt, and wrote about them. I sailed up the Nile. I became superintendent at the Institute for the Care of Sick Gentlewomen in London, a positon I held for a whole year.

"When I was thirty-four years old, I went all the way to the Crimea when I was told of the horrific hospital conditions that have probably been carried over from Ancient Roman times! I reduced the death rate among the wounded from 42% to 2%, either through my own actions or the actions of the Sanitary Commission. I implemented vital hygiene practices such as handwashing in the hospital I worked in.

"During my first winter, just over four thousand soldiers died in my hospital. Ten times more soldiers die from preventable diseases like cholera and typhus than from actual battle wounds. I knew that the high death rate was due to poor nutrition, lack of supplies, stale air, and overworking. They were killed by poor living conditions, so I worked on the sanitary design of hospitals and the introduction of sanity in working-class homes. I set up my own training school for nurses so that they could learn what I had learnt during the Crimean War. I wrote a book called Notes On Nursing, which was designed to educate those nursing at home. I also introduced trained nurses to the workhouse system, which meant that the sick poor did no longer have to be treated by non-trained able-bodied poor people. I mentored America's first ever trained nurse and enabled her to return to the United States with adequate training and knowledge to establish high-quality nursing schools. The nurses that I myself trained became matrons at several leading hospitals.

I am the Lady with the Lamp, who was awarded the Royal Red Cross by Queen Victoria herself, who was appointed a Lady of Grace of the Order of St John, who became the first woman to be awarded the Order of Merit, and who was given the Honorary Freedom of the City of London. And you think I know nothing of war?!"

As I come to the end of my tirade, I realise just how much I have accomplished in my life. Turns out you just need someone to question your existence in order for the realisation to appear.

Octavius is staring at me in utter shock, fear, and—I think—a bit of admiration. Jed has much the same expression on his face. And when I put Octavius down and turn around, so does Neil.

I can feel that my pulse has quickened, and I am sweating slightly. I shake my head and close my fists, feeling the need to go somewhere quiet to recover. "But you two men are right, of course," I say bitterly to the two miniature leaders. "What could ANY woman possibly know about war?"

With that, I storm out of the room, brushing angry tears out of my face.

I need somewhere quiet to go to calm down, and I know just the place.


	9. Chapter 9

When I reach the Egyptian exhibit, I see the jackals coming up to me, spears at the ready. I stand up straight. "I wish to see the Pharaoh Ahkmenrah," I say bravely.

The jackals still look aggressive, but apparently my voice must have carried, because I hear Ahk's voice call something in Egyptian, which in turn makes the jackal guards stand down. Shooting them wary looks, I edge past them and to the sarcophagus.

On the wall behind it, I see the tablet, glowing in all its splendour. I want to reach out and touch it, but I avoid doing so, just in case. I have no idea how it works and what the slightest interference might do to it.

"Florrie, is that you?" came Ahk's young voice from the coffin.

I kneel down beside the sarcophagus, a smile spreading over my face. "Yes, Ahk. I'm back."

I can tell Ahk is smiling just from his voice. "Hello, Florrie. How are you?"

I pause, rubbing my hands together. I can still feel that my palms are sweaty. "I…have had an interesting evening. How has yours been?"

There is silence for several seconds before I finally realise what I said. "Oh, for heaven's sake, Florrie!" I snap. "I-I'm so sorry…I'm really distracted today."

"Do not worry about it." I can hear the laughter in Ahk's voice. "My evening has just become a lot more pleasant."

"Really? Why?"

"Because you are here."

I inhale sharply, blushing furiously. "I…I…"

"W-was that too forward?" Ahk sounds panicked. "I apologise."

"No, no." I chuckle. "You just caught me off guard, that's all. I-I am glad that I am able to make your nights more pleasant."

"It…is certainly very dull being kept in here all the time," sighs Ahk. "Your company—apart from being the only company I have had in decades—is very pleasant, and a lovely change from speaking to no-one."

I smile shyly. "Talking to you is fast becoming the highlight of _my_ evening too." I hesitate. "May I…may I ask you something rather random?"

"Anything."

"Do you…think women can be important?"

Ahk pauses. "In what way?" he asks finally.

"Just in general." I'm not entirely sure what to expect here. "Can women make a difference? Are women important to history?"

"I think the answer to both of those questions is yes, solely basing the answer on you."

"Me?" I repeat, surprised.

"You are a nurse, are you not?"

"Y-yes…"

"The last time you were here, you said that you improved the conditions in military hospitals. I believe the word you used was "appalling". I am guessing that that means "very bad"?"

"Very, very, very bad," I agree.

"That alone implies that your contribution was important. I believe you also said that your work is still being used nowadays?"

"Apparently."

"Then I think you have your answer. You were indeed important to history; therefore, women CAN be important to history."

I smile, despite my misgivings. "Thank you, Ahk."

"Now may _I_ ask _you_ a random question?"

I nod automatically as I reply, "Absolutely, yes."

"Are you scared of me at all?"

I blink, stunned. This is not what I expected. Do I answer honestly or give a little white lie? I decide to go for the classic, "What do you mean?"

"I am not like the other exhibits. I am not like you." Ahk sounds both despairing and resigned, which frightens me a little. "The rest of the museum are reconstructions. Wax figures. I-I am not. I am the real thing."

My breath catches in my throat. "You're saying…?"

"You are a wax replica of Florence Nightingale. I am the real Ahkmenrah that lived and died all those millennia ago."

I hesitate, wondering what to do now. I actually was NOT afraid of Ahkmenrah before this revelation, despite the fact that he owns the magical tablet that brings us all to life, but now…

"F-Florrie?" Ahk's voice now sounds worried as well as despairing. "Are you…still there?"

"Of course I am," I say. "I would not just abandon you like this."

"But why? Why are you not scared of me?"

"I am," I reply without thinking. "It is rather scary, what you just said. But I will not let it get in the way of our friendship. Although it IS frightening that you really are millennia old, it will take a lot more than that to keep me away. I like you far too much to be scared off by that tiny fact."

There is a pause following my speech. A pause that slowly gets longer. I frown. Has Ahk fallen asleep?

Finally, I hear a muted sniffle, and Ahk says, "You have no idea how much that means to me, Florrie. I cannot thank you enough."

"Just continue to talk to me when I visit, and I will consider myself thanked," I say, grinning.

"In all seriousness, Florrie, thank you. You are my only friend."

I bite my lip. How am I supposed to tell him that I want to be more than friends?

Yes, it's fast. Yes, I've never even seen his face. Yes, we've only known each other a day or so. Yes, I know I'm wax and he's a literal mummy. But I don't care. I am developing feelings for Ahkmenrah, but I don't know if he feels the same. I really hope he does, though.

When I was alive-no, correction. When Florence Nightingale was alive, she didn't get married. She stayed single so she could focus on her nursing.

But I'm not her. The real Florence Nightingale believed that women were subservient to men. I DO NOT believe that, hence my blow-up at Octavius. If I want to pursue love, why should I not? I do not have any nursing duties, like the real Florence did, so what is stopping me from pursuing love?

The fact that he might not feel the same way. For the moment, _that_ is stopping me.

"Florrie, are you still there?"

I blink several times. "Y-yes, I'm still here. Sorry, I was just thinking."

"You are not frightened by the fact that I called you my friend, are you?"

"No, not at all. Quite the opposite," I add in a mutter.

"What?"

"Nothing," I quickly say. "I…should probably go."

"Oh…" Ahk's disappointed, I can tell. It makes me feel really bad.

"I'm sorry. It's just that-."

"No, you do not have to explain. I understand that I am not your entire life."

 _But I am yours,_ I think guiltily.

"I will be back tonight if I can," I promise. "But if not, then I will see you tomorrow, alright?"

"Alright." He pauses, then says, "أحبك," which sounds like "a-ha-va-ca."

"What does that mean?" I ask, giggling a bit. Maybe it's Egyptian for goodbye?

"Oh, it means…it means "friend" in Arabic," Ahk says.

"Thank you," I smile. "I will be back before you know it."

I walk reluctantly away.

But unbeknownst to me, أحبك is actually Arabic for "I love you".


	10. Chapter 10

I head back to the foyer. No sooner have I stepped inside than I have to throw myself to the ground to avoid Rexy treading on me as he runs past, chasing the bone, which is still attached to the miniature car. It must be close to running out of battery, surely. It's been going non-stop all night.

As I reach the globe, I see Neil across the room, staring at my plinth. I curiously move closer, putting my hand on his back. He yelps and leaps aside in fright, which in turn gives ME a fright. I swat his shoulder. "Don't do that!"

"Me?!" Neil grabs his heart, doubling over. "You-!" He tips his head back and breaks off. "Nevermind. Where've you been?"

I smile automatically, remembering my chat with Ahk.

"I'm guessing you're not still angry about what Octavius said?" Neil asks.

My smile disappears. "I wasn't, but now that you've reminded me of it, I am."

Neil's shoulders slump. "Oh. So where did you go?"

I hesitate, staring at the floor. I don't like keeping my best friend in the dark about things, and if I think about it, there's really no reason to not tell Neil about my meetings with Ahk. He won't be angry with me. Why WOULD he be angry with me?

 _Because he has feelings for you,_ says a voice in my head.

I blink. Where'd THAT thought come from?!

"Florence?" Neil is waving his hand in front of my face. "Earth to Florence?"

I take a step back, suddenly dizzy. "What?"

Neil frowns, concerned. "You look ill all of a sudden. You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." A rather weak smirk spreads over my face. "I'll tell you where I went if you tell me what an asto-not is."

Neil blinks, confused. "What?"

"The day I first met you, Teddy called you an asto-not. What's an asto-not?"

Neil stares at me for a few seconds longer, before clarity clearly dawns over him and he bursts out laughing. "Astronaut!" he manages to splutter, doubling over and clutching his sides.

I can't help giggling as Neil continues to laugh. "I don't know what's funnier: how you pronounced the word, or the fact that you've been agonising over such a small question that you asked two days ago."

"I'd hardly say "agonising"…" I protest mildly.

Neil smirks at me. "Well, an astronaut is someone who goes into space."

I'm sure my eyes augment several times in size. "You've been to SPACE?!"

Neil's smirk grows wider. "And it gets better."

I smirk back. "Now you're going to say you landed on the _moon_ , or something."

Neil simply grins at me, causing my own smirk to drop. "No…!"

"First man to walk on the moon," Neil says, beaming at his own accomplishment.

"O-O-Oh my g-gosh!" I stare, open-mouthed, at Neil, my eyes feeling like they're about to pop out and my jaw feeling like it's going to drop off. "H-How?!"

"Can't answer that," Neil replies.

"Why?"

Neil points at me. "Cuz I have no idea."

I giggle at that. "How come?"

"Well…I was just the face," Neil explains. "I didn't make the rocket; I was just the one to ride in it."

"Ohhh…" I pause, before grabbing Neil's shoulders and shaking him excitedly. "YOU WENT TO SPACE AND YOU LANDED ON THE MOON!"

"Yeah, well…" Neil hesitates. "There's been a lot of debate about that."

"What do you mean?"

"I've seen a lot of things recently," sighs Neil. "There are lots of people out there who think the moon landing was faked."

"F-Faked?!"

Neil nods sadly. "It's just…I feel awful about it. Reading some articles and comments people have made. I spent so long training for it, and being the first person ever to walk on the moon was the best moment of my life by far. And yet…there are thousands of people out there who don't think I really did it."

"Well, screw them." I fold my arms and glare at the ceiling, wishing I could bore holes straight through the skulls of my best friend's haters. " _I_ believe you did it."

Neil smiles. "Thanks, Florence. Believe me, I wish I could have taken a colour photograph of the Earth from the surface of the moon, but colour cameras hadn't been invented when I went there."

"You don't need to prove that you went there," I insist. "I believe you."

"Yeah, but looking at the Earth from the moon was an extremely surreal experience that I want to share with others." Neil smiles.

I smile back.

"Okay, now I've fulfilled my end of the bargain. Where did you go?"

My smile turns shy. "T-To the Egyptian exhibit?"

"Why?" Neil frowns. "And why do you look so embarrassed?"

"Because…I meet up with someone every time I go there."

Neil raises an eyebrow. "But there's nobody there except that pharaoh, apparently."

I nod slowly. "Exactly."

Neil's other eyebrow rises. "You talk to the pharaoh?"

I nod again. "Y-Yes. His name is Ahkmenrah, and he's really sweet. I've only ever heard his voice, but I'm really fond of him, and he likes me too. He says I make his evenings more pleasant, AND he said I am his only friend." I pause. "What?"

Neil's grinning at me.

"What?" I demand again. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Neil just shakes his head.

Then we hear a male scream. We both instinctively turn towards it, and are treated to the sight of Larry Daley racing as fast as he can over the mezzanine. A split second after he disappears, we see several Huns—including Attila—pursuing him.

I can't help letting out a giggle. "Poor Larry Daley. I guess he tried to outsmart the Huns."

"Clearly THAT didn't work," comments Neil.

I sigh. Larry has clearly tried very hard to control the museum, and I have to admit…he has very nearly succeeded. In one night, he has managed to calm the museum enough that no riots or major fights have broken out. And he has not done it with force, either, like Cecil would have. He has calmed the museum…with kindness.

Somehow.


	11. Chapter 11

Neil turns back to me. "So about this pharaoh..."

I blush. "There's nothing to tell, Neil. We're just friends."

Neil smirks. "But you want to be more, don't you?"

"I've never even seen his face," I point out, avoiding the question. "I've only ever heard his voice. And what makes you think I like him in that way?"

"The way you lit up when you talked about him," Neil replies, his smile turning genuine. "You couldn't see it, but I did. And I'm glad you're happy, Florence."

"I used to think I had feelings for you," I say quietly, bowing my head. "But...I-I don't know..."

"If the only thing that's holding you back from pursuing a relationship with this Ahkmenrah is the fact that you think I have feelings for you, then you should go for it."

I glance up at him, and he continues, "I can't deny that I have any feelings for you, but...I'm also confused about how I feel. If you truly love the pharaoh, then don't let me get in the way of your happiness."

I scrutinise his face and analyse his voice. There is absolutely no bitterness in his voice at all, and his smile is genuine. He really wants me to be happy.

I beam and throw my arms around Neil, resting my chin on his shoulder. "Thank you," I whisper.

Neil holds me tighter in reply.

"Ah, young love," comes a familiar American voice.

I leap backwards, and find Neil doing the same. My shocked/embarrassed expression is reflected on his face. I whirl round to face Teddy, putting my hands on my hips and using irritation to mask my embarrassment. "Teddy! We are NOT together!"

Teddy raises his hands in defence. "I apologise for the assumption."

Neil bursts out laughing. Both of us glance at him; Teddy in bemusement and me in amusement. "What are YOU laughing at?" Teddy demands.

Neil shrugs, giggling helplessly. "I have no idea."

I shoot an exasperated look at Teddy, who grins back.

"Oh, by the way, Florence has a boyfriend," Neil says, before leaping to hide behind Teddy.

"NEIL!"

Teddy stares at me. "What?!"

I clench my fists and race round Teddy to confront Neil, who edges round the other way. "Neil!" I snap again. "Why did you say that?!"

"Because you do," giggles Neil.

"Miss Nightingale, is this true?" Teddy ask, dumbfounded.

I fold my arms. "I do NOT have a boyfriend. He is...he is not my boyfriend."

"So there's SOMEONE?" Teddy points at me.

I roll my eyes and sigh. "Yes."

"Who?"

I hesitate.

"If you don't tell him, I will," Neil contributes from behind Teddy.

"If you tell him, I'm going to send you back to space," I growl, cracking my knuckles loudly.

Neil flinches. "I didn't know you could do that..."

"Who is this mystery man?" Teddy asks.

My shoulders slump. I know there's no getting out of this. "Ahkmenrah."

Teddy's eyes widen. "Th-the pharaoh whose tablet brings us to life?!"

I nod, refolding my arms. "Yes. I don't care what you say."

I turn away, but Teddy leaves Neil and cuts me off, placing his hands on my shoulders. He looks into my eyes with a very serious look on his face. "Miss Nightingale, I fear you don't know what you're letting yourself in for."

"Teddy, get out of my way," I order him softly.

"No. I'm sorry, but I cannot allow you to-."

I grab hold of his wrists and push him away from me. "Did you just say you will not allow me?"

Teddy hesitates, glancing for support at Neil, who shrugs and makes a face, clearing saying _you're on your own, mate._

He looks back at me. "L-Look, Miss Nightingale, the pharaoh is dangerous. Unstable. Volatile. I fear for your safety."

I stand up straighter, looking straight into Teddy's eyes, causing him to back down a little. "Just as I thought," I say bitterly. "You say you fear for my safety, but you really fear me, don't you?"

Teddy hesitates a second too long. "No, of course not! It...it is the pharaoh I fear."

"Why?" I demand. "Why do you fear him? Have you ever even had a conversation with him?"

Teddy hesitates again, this time for longer. "No."

"Then why do you fear him?"

"Miss Nightingale, the pharaoh has-."

"AND HE HAS A NAME!" I shriek suddenly, sick of hearing Teddy treat Ahk as if he isn't even human. "Stop referring to him as if he is nothing!"

Teddy bows his head slightly and backs away another step.

"You cannot stop me from seeing him, Teddy."

As I resume walking, Teddy steps into my path again. I shoot him a ferocious look, and he backs down again. "M-Miss..."

"Weak men fear strong women, Theodore Roosevelt," I say disdainfully. "Remember that."

Then the pounding sound of heavy footsteps sounds, and we all turn to see Larry racing across the floor, white stuff all around his mouth, chasing a little monkey.

"Dexter," sighs Neil.

Teddy narrows his eyes at me, before leaving to pursue them.

I clench my fists and let out a yell of annoyance, pounding my fist against my plinth.

"Florence-," begins Neil.

"Was it me?" I ask distressedly, turning to face my best friend. "Was I in the wrong?"

Neil shakes his head. "No, Florence. You're entitled to see whoever you want."

I exhale in relief. "Thank you, Neil. But I would have appreciated some backup earlier."

Neil's shoulders slump. "I...sorry."

I chuckle weakly. "It's okay."

As I sit down on my pedestal, Neil sits down next to me. He clasps his hands together, hesitating. "Florence...I need to tell you something."

This doesn't sound good. I nod slowly. "O-Okay."

"Florence...I-I'm leaving."

I stare at him in shock. "Wh-What?"

"Cecil told me a while back that I'm being transferred to the Smithsonian, and he told me the date. That date is tomorrow morning."

"But...but that means..." I bite my lip as tears begin to fill my eyes. "I-I'll never see you again."

"Not never," Neil reassures me quickly. "But...not often."

I wrap my arms around his chest and rest my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes as I feel droplets trickle down my cheek. "It's n-not fair..."

"I know." Neil's voice cracks, and when I glance up at his face, I see that he is crying as well. "You're the first friend I've had here in fifty years. You're my BEST friend. I wish I could spend more time with you."

"Y-You won't be here when we wake up tomorrow night, will you?"

Neil shakes his head. "I'm being shipped out first thing tomorrow morning." He sighs deeply. "Speaking of which...I should get back to my place. It'll be sunrise soon."

I clutch him tighter. "Please don't leave...I don't want to say goodbye!"

Neil stands up, gently detaching himself from me. "I-I'm sorry, Florence. Trust me, I wish it could be different."

I stand up and hug him tightly, not wanting to let him go. "Y-You're a great friend, Neil. I'll never forget you."

"I'll never forget you either, Florence."

I reluctantly let go. He smiles weakly at me, before turning. I also turn, not wanting the last thing I see of my best friend to be his back. I'm about to sit on my plinth, when I hear shouting coming from the room next to the foyer. I hurry over there, and see Larry and Teddy facing each other. Larry looks angry, and Teddy is clearly trying to calm him down.

"That's great, but I'm dealing with the most ridiculous job in history!" Larry snaps.

"Some men are born great, Lawrence-," Teddy tries.

"Yeah, I know. Others have greatness thrust upon them. You hit me with that chestnut last night. The thing is...not everyone IS great. That's the problem." Larry sighs. "Some of us are just ordinary."

"No you're not, Lawrence," argues Teddy. "Stop wallowing in self-pity. Every journey begins with a footstep. Teach the inhabitants to get along, and they wouldn't need to be locked up night after night!"

"That means a lot coming from a guy who's spent the last fifty years spying on a girl he's never even talked to," Larry counters.

I wince as Teddy blanches. "I...was going to make contact." He pleadingly holds out the keys towards the nightguard. "Lawrence, please."

"I'm done, alright?" snaps Larry. He turns and storms away, yelling at Rexy when the dinosaur moves over to him.

I edge up to Teddy, who's staring at Larry. "That didn't go so well," I observe quietly.

Teddy doesn't look at me as he sighs. "He was so close. He calmed the museum in one night, better than Cecil did in fifty years. It would not have taken long for him to completely bring it to peace and order."

I bite my lip and say nothing.

Teddy turns to me. "It is time we got back to our places. Dawn is approaching."

Teddy takes his horse and heads back to his place. I follow.

Hopping onto my pedestal, I watch as Teddy freezes with the keys in his grasp, hoping that Larry will come back for them.

I get into position, a few more tears rolling down my cheek.

The last thought I have before I freeze is of Neil.


	12. Chapter 12

My limbs unfreeze, and breath returns to my body. I realise I'm off-balance just as I topple off my plinth. Getting painfully to my feet, I remember with a pang of sadness that I won't be able to talk to Neil today; he's gone. Neil's in the Smithsonian right now, unable to come to life. The thought terrifies and distresses me.

But as I breathe rhythmically, I realise that another feeling is there in my chest: uneasiness. For some reason, I can't shake the feeling that something bad has happened or will happen or is happening right now.

For a start, it's late. I can feel it in my entire body. And the clock behind the reception desk confirms it: it's fifteen whole minutes past the time we normally wake up. That is extremely worrying. It's never done that before. NEVER, in fifty years. It's always happened exactly at sunset, routinely. But today…it hasn't. Why?

Glancing up, I spot Teddy riding quickly off on Tex, disappearing round the corner. I don't blame him; I bet he can feel this feeling too, and he has probably gone to check on the tablet or the rest of the museum or something like that.

I decide to check on Ahkmenrah. Not only do I want to know if he knows anything about this, but I also want to make sure he's okay. He's the closest to the tablet—both physically and spiritually—and it's likely that he can feel the disturbance more strongly than I can.

But as I run through the museum, spot the mammoths lumbering towards me, worryingly fast. Next to them are the ostriches and several animals from the Hall of African Mammals. I turn to run away, but that's when a stampede of civil war puppets and Huns come running the opposite way, fighting each other.

I'm stuck in the middle of the two groups.

As they're about to collide, I start to rush to the side, but I'm not in time. I duck under a thrusted bayonet and vault over an ostrich that falls in front of me. I try and make my way to safety, but I keep getting pushed to the centre of the conflict.

I'm getting tired, and soon, I'm not going to be able to dodge any more strikes from bayonets or Huns.

Then I hear the clip-clop of a horse's hooves. Spinning round, I see Teddy riding through the fray on Tex. I reach out my hand desperately for him, spotting a Hun rushing towards me. Just as he rides past me, Teddy grabs my hand and pulls me onto Tex with a strong arm. I clutch his shoulders as we ride through the fray and out the other side, back into the foyer.

Breathing heavily, I slide off the horse and clutch my stomach. I think I might be sick.

"Are you alright, Miss Nightingale?" asks Teddy worryingly.

I nod shakily. "That…was terrifying. Why did it happen?"

Teddy shrugs helplessly. "I don't know. I was going to the pharaoh's tomb to see if everything was alright there, but I didn't make it even halfway there before the stampede."

"I hope Ahk is alright," I say worriedly. "I-I should go see him."

Teddy nods slowly. "Good idea. I will see if I can restore even a modicum of order to the museum."

As he rides away, I take off running. This time, I go the emptier route to the Egyptian exhibit.

Just as I'm nearing it, I see a little boy running towards me, clutching the golden tablet. My heart leaping into my throat, I reach out and catch him as he tries to run past.

"Let me go!" he yells, scared.

"Stop, stop!" I put my hands on his shoulders and look into his eyes. "I'm friendly. Who are you?"

"N-Nicky," stammers the boy. "I'm L-Larry Daley's son."

"The nightguard has a son?" I blink. "Well, I'm Florence Nightingale. Now, can you tell me why you're running with the tablet like this?"

"The old nightguards. They…they want the tablet. They're trying to frame my dad for its theft! I-I have to get it away from here!"

"I'll help you," I promise, taking his hand. "Let's go."

We resume running towards Ahk's exhibit, which is in the direction Nicky was heading in anyway. But as we approach, someone slams into us, knocking us through the metal gate and onto the floor. I look up and spot Cecil grabbing the tablet from Nicky's grasp. Then Larry tries to wrestle it out of Cecil's grasp, but the latter pushes him through the gate too, which he then closes and locks.

Grinning, he flips the tablet over in his grasp and leaves.

"Teddy!" yells Larry through the bars, not even bothering to acknowledge me. "Teddy, if you're out there, I need you, pal!"

Yes, Teddy! Good idea. Teddy can help us.

But when he arrives, he refuses. He tells Larry, "You gotta finish the job this time. You can't quit. I'm made of wax, Larry. What are you made of?"

Then he rides away.

"Teddy!" I scream, clutching the bars. "Teddy, don't leave me! I need you!"

But he's gone.

"Uh, Dad…?"

Larry and I turn simultaneously. The two jackal guards are coming towards us, spears raised. Larry begins dragging Nick forward, so I follow. "Duck!" he yells.

The two spears slam into the ground where we were just standing, but as Larry and Nicky make it into the safety of the crypt, I feel my foot catch on a loose stone, and I fall over onto my front, injuring my ribs and my left knee. As I scramble to my feet and begin limping towards the crypt, one of the jackals' spear slams into my stomach, causing me to flip over and land heavily on my front again, further damaging my ribs. My legs follow my torso onto the ground, again causing more damage to my already hurt knee. It doesn't feel broken, but I can't do any further medical diagnosis because I see the two jackals looming over me.

Glancing up, I see Larry and Nicky hiding behind the casket, staring at me, terrified. They can't do anything for me without risking injury or death to themselves as well.

I only have one option for survival.

"AHKMENRAH!" I scream. "IT'S ME: FLORRIE! HELP!"


	13. Chapter 13

Immediately, I hear Ahkmenrah's voice yell something in Egyptian, the same thing that I heard him yell the last time I came here. The jackals immediately back off, to my intense relief. I relax, breathing heavily in and out. That…was terrifying.

I eventually try to stand up. My knee greatly protests this movement, and as I put weight on it, I stumble forwards.

Someone catches me. And when I look up, I see…HIM.

It's Ahkmenrah. It has to be. His coffin is open. Larry and Nicky must have let him out. He…

He is extremely good-looking. His tanned skin and royal outfit look exactly how I imagined him. His face matches the youth of his voice. He's smiling gently at me.

"I am glad to finally put a face to the voice," he says softly.

"A-As am I," I stammer, unable to tear my gaze away from his face. "You…you look exactly as I pictured you."

Ahk smiles bashfully. "I always pictured you with sparkling eyes, and I see that I am not wrong."

I blush furiously, but luckily, my injured ribs interrupt me, and I double over in pain.

"Florrie!" Ahkmenrah holds me tightly, lifting me up. "What happened?!"

"The jackals," Larry replies for me, coming forward. "They attacked us."

Ahkmenrah angrily turns to the nearest jackal, but I catch hold of his wrist. "Don't. They were just doing their duty."

"They should have remembered you from last night," Ahkmenrah growled angrily.

"Wait…how can you speak English?" Larry asks, distracting the pharaoh from his anger briefly.

"I went to Cambridge University," he replies, turning to face the nightguard.

"You went to Cambridge…?" Larry frowns.

"I was on display in the Egyptology department." Ahkmenrah smiled. "I am Ahkmenrah, fourth king of the fourth king, ruler of the land of my fathers."

"I am Larry…" Larry hesitates, clearly unsure of what to say to that. "…son of Milton…" He puts his arm around his clearly still scared son. "…and this is my son, Nick. And we hail from Brooklyn." He pauses. "Well, I do. I mean, he comes out and stays with me on Wednesdays, and every other weekend. That was the custody agreement…that we had."

He trails off as he finally understands what my look is saying: _he is from Ancient Egypt; he does not understand what you are talking about._

"Larry, Nick, guardians of Brooklyn, I am forever in your debt." Ahk turns to me and smiles. "Yours too, Florrie. Now; bestow the tablet upon me so that I may assume command of my kingdom."

I glance at Larry, eyebrow raised. _That's your cue, nightguard._

"Oh, yes, the tablet!" Larry pauses, and I momentarily feel bad for forcing this task on him. "I would love to bestow it upon you, but we don't actually…have it."

Ahkmenrah frowns, his eyes flickering to the empty spot on the wall. "Then…where is it?"

"The old nightguards stole it," I reply, glancing at Larry.

"They're retiring soon, and they stole the tablet so that their retirement will be covered," Larry elaborates. "And they're planning to frame me for the theft. We need to get out and stop them." He points to the metal gate.

Ahk smiles craftily. "That gate is no matter." He barks a command to the jackals, who immediately slam their spears into the gate, which goes flying off its hinges.

Larry and Nicky immediately race to the open gap, but I hang back. "Ahk…"

"We must get going." Ahkmenrah takes my hand and starts to follow Larry and Nicky, but I stay still and refuse to move. "Florrie?"

"I can't run," I say quietly, hanging my head. "I will only slow you down."

Ahk gently takes me in his arms. It is an amazing feeling, to be hugged comfortingly by such a loving person. Especially one I have such strong feelings for. "Now that I have found you, I do not wish to leave you. But I understand your situation and respect your decision."

As he pulls back, ready to leave, I decide to do something rash, but something I've wanted to do since I met him.

I kiss him. On the lips.

He is initially startled, but he relaxes into it just as quickly as I do. It is the best moment of my (after)life by far.

"Hey, guys!" comes Larry's impatient voice. "Tablet!"

We reluctantly pull away. I smile weakly at him. "Go. And be safe."

"You too, Florrie."

Reluctantly, he rushes after Larry and Nicky, and all three of them leave the exhibit.

I bite my lip, barely able to believe what has just happened.

I think I'm in love.


	14. Chapter 14

I limp around the exhibit, trying to wrap my head around what just happened. I just kissed Ahkmenrah. Forget that; I just MET Ahkmenrah! Face-to-face! For the first time!

And he is extremely good-looking.

The jackals seem to agree. They're looking down at me, watching me as I limp around. They don't seem to be hostile; in fact, I think they're ashamed of themselves. Maybe they agree with Ahk and think they SHOULD have remembered me from last night. I don't hold that against them, though. They were only trying to protect the prince. That's admirable.

Eventually, I decide to hobble out of the exhibit and see what is going on.

Ten minutes later, I arrive in the atrium, which is deserted. Apart from Teddy on his horse, who rides towards me when he spots me. "Florence!"

He dismounts and heads over to me, grinning broadly, but when he reaches me, I deck him in the face. He yelps and staggers backwards, staring at me. "What-?!"

"That's for leaving me!" I yell. "I begged you for help but you ignored me!"

"I…I needed to teach Lawrence that-."

"I DON'T GIVE A FIG ABOUT LARRY!" I bellow. "I begged you to help me but you refused! Do you have any idea what happened to me?! I was attacked by two jackals! I nearly broke my knee and several of my ribs! I COULD HAVE DIED, THEODORE ROOSEVELT!"

Teddy blinks. "What DID happen?"

To my intense annoyance, I feel a blush creep up my cheeks. "Ahkmenrah saved me. Us. He saved Larry, Nicky, and me."

Teddy smirks, so I hit him again. He steps back and glares at me, rubbing his jaw.

"Where is everyone?" I ask, changing the subject. "The place is empty."

"Lawrence managed to rally the entire museum to work together," Teddy replies excitedly, forgetting his injury. "The miniatures, the civil war puppets, the animals. Everyone. They're all going to apprehend the three crooked nightguards.

"They are?"

"He got the ENTIRE museum to listen to him at once!" Teddy's face is glowing with pride. "That's more than Cecil ever did."

Cecil…

Cecil's clever. How will Cecil get out of the museum? He will try to find something fast…

I know just the thing.

Turning, I run as fast as my injuries will allow, back towards the stairs. Teddy calls something after me but I don't answer.

Please let me remember the way…

I DO remember the way.

I burst into a room, hoping it's the right room. I look to my left and see Sacagawea, Lewis, and Clark behind their glass exhibit. I smile in relief. I'm in the right place. I give Sacagawea a smile and a small wave as I look round to the right.

There it is. The horse and carriage. The horses that were trained not to stop for anything except a secret word. That's just the kind of thing Cecil would go for. He knows his history, does Cecil. Which is hardly surprising, since he was the nightguard of this place for almost fifty years.

I run towards the carriage and put a hand on the side. Then I hear tapping on glass, so I turn round. In the background, Sacagawea is hitting urgently on the glass, but I can barely see her past Cecil, who is rushing towards me.

I don't dodge in time.

Cecil uses the tablet like a club and slams it into my head, not quite knocking me out, but stunning me. He then puts the tablet behind my back and uses it to support me as he drags me into the carriage and dumps me on the floor. Because of the blow, I can't defend myself.

The last thing I know before I pass out is that the carriage is moving.


	15. Chapter 15

A horrible jerking movement forces me awake. All I can see is black, until I realise that the ground beneath me is moving, which then forces me to examine my surroundings better.

I'm inside a black carriage.

I remember now. It's the carriage displayed inside the room with Sacagawea. It's the carriage Cecil dragged me into just before I passed out.

Speaking of that, my head is killing me. I feel like I'm about to be sick. I weakly curse at Cecil for hitting me with the tablet. If I get the chance, I am definitely returning the favour.

The carriage is moving violently. We must be going extremely fast.

To check this theory, I manage to crawl to the door and look out the window. Yes, I'm right. We're going very fast.

How long was I unconscious? Where are we right now? We could be halfway across the country by now, and I wouldn't even know.

I feel my heartbeat quicken. What if I never get back to the museum? What if I never see Ahkmenrah again? What will happen to me when the sun rises?!

Wait…the sun!

That proves that we can't be too far away from the museum. When we left, it was only an hour or so until sunrise. And the sun hasn't risen yet. In fact, it looks like it won't rise for another half an hour or so. So we can't be THAT far away from the museum…

I drag myself to my feet and lean against the wall for support. This would have been a great plan, had the carriage not been shaking so violently that I would have more balance standing upright.

I look out the window again. I can see white snow and snowy trees. There's a forest near the museum, I think. Maybe we're really not far from the museum after all. Maybe someone will rescue me.

I scowl and clench my fists. Since when have I been a damsel in distress? I have always believed in helping yourself to the best of your ability, because chances are, nobody will do it for you. And nobody is going to help me here. Larry won't. Teddy can't. Ahkmenrah…

My heart hurts just thinking about him.

Growling in pain and frustration, I clench my right fist and slam my elbow into the glass window. It hurts like hell, but I do it again. And again. The glass is cracked but not smashed. I try again, but pain explodes up my arm, and I feel hot blood splatter onto my elbow, so I switch arms and hit the window a couple of times with my left elbow instead.

After a few more tries and a bit more blood, it smashes.

The hole is just wide enough for me to fit, so I climb out.

Problem. The roof is further up from the window than I thought. But I can't go back through the window now, or I'll be cut up by the jagged glass. So I grit my teeth and use the metal bar at the edge of the roof to pull myself up and out of the hole. As my feet become free of the window, I feel myself swing out. Soon, my entire body is hanging free, with only my one handhold on the bar to save myself.

 _So put your other hand on the bar, idiot._

I do what the rather rude voice in my head tells me to do. Using both hands, I pull myself up onto the roof of the carriage. Through the blinding wind, I stare off the back of the carriage. I think I can see something pursuing the carriage… A horse?

Teddy? Is Teddy coming to save me? It looks like his horse…

But as it draws nearer, I see that it's Teddy's horse, but the rider?

It's Larry.

I try to catch his attention, but he's focused on the driver's seat of the carriage, which is where Cecil is.

 _Please tell me you know how to stop the horses!_ I beg in my head. _PLEASE!_

Fortunately, he does.

Unfortunately, we are going at such speed, that when the carriage stops, it stop so suddenly that I am thrown right off the top of the carriage.

I land in the snow, jarring my already-injured knee even more, and adding a possible-broken hip to my list of injuries.

This pain, coupled with my splitting headache from the blow Cecil gave me, causes me to pass out just a few seconds after hitting the ground.


	16. Chapter 16

When I return to consciousness, the first thing I feel is the cold snow beneath me. Next, the pain from my hip, knee, head, and back hits me. Finally, I feel someone holding my hand. Their skin is cold, but the longer I feel their hand in mine, the warmer I feel.

I know who it must be…

I force my eyes to open, needing to see his face. And it is him: Ahkmenrah. He is worriedly looking up at the sky, biting the corner of his lip. He is barely blinking. I smile weakly. It's so nice to see his face again. I was worried I would forget it, having only seen it once before.

"Ahk," I croak.

He starts in surprise and his eyes flick down to land on me. His pale face breaks into a relieved smile. "Florrie! How are you feeling?"

"Pained," I reply truthfully. "I don't know if I'll be able to stand…" I swallow, suddenly remembering how I got these injuries. "Where's Cecil?!"

"Larry has him, don't worry," Ahk reassures me. "The Huns are taking him back to the other two guards."

I exhale in relief. "So it's all over?"

"It is all over," Ahk smiles. "You're safe now."

I close my eyes again and lie back, a warm sense of relief washing over me.

"Florrie, lie still."

"I am." I swallow. "Why?"

"Please."

I keep still, wondering what Ahk is up to. I feel him move, and a few seconds later, I feel him kiss my lips. I kiss back, smiling. When he pulls back, I feel him kiss my forehead. "Keep still."

"I am," I complain. "What are you doing?"

"Do you trust me?" Ahk asks softly.

"Yes," I reply without hesitation.

"Then please do not panic."

"Why would I-?" I break off with a gasp as I feel a sudden blast of heat shoot through my entire body. Ahk tightens his grip on my hand, which calms me down enough to keep still. He kisses me again on the forehead, and I relax completely. I know he would never do anything to hurt me, and if he is not panicking, I will not panic.

Soon I feel the heat beginning to die down. Opening my eyes, I see the smiling face of the man I love. "What was that?" I ask groggily.

Ahk wordlessly helps me sit up. That's when I realise…all my pain is gone. My hip, my knee, my head. All of it. It's gone. I feel as good as new. "What WAS that?" I gasp again.

"I used the power of the tablet to heal you," Ahk replies gesturing to the glowing tablet he is holding in his other hand. "Now, come. We need to get back to the museum before sunrise."

He helps me to my feet. Apart from my limbs being stiff, I have no trouble at all doing that. I smile and throw my arms around Ahkmenrah, hugging him tightly. "Thank you."

"I am sorry I did not rescue you," Ahk says softly. "I did not even realise Cecil Fredricks had taken you until Larry told me, just after he stopped the carriage."

"Don't worry," I whisper. "I do not hold that against you. I managed to rescue myself, anyway."

"Yes, I am very impressed with that. You truly are a formidable woman."

I swallow, humbled. "Thank you. I can't tell you how many people have told me otherwise."

Ahk pulls back from me and kisses me.

"Hey. Lovebirds."

The two of us ignore Larry for a few seconds or so, before we reluctantly move apart and look over at the nightguard. "Back to the museum, please. I don't want you two turning to dust."

I smirk. "That would be less than ideal."

We start to move off, but Larry catches my arm. "Do you mind if I talk to you alone?"

I hesitate. "Can't you say whatever it is in front of Ahk?" I ask.

Larry shakes his head slowly. "No."

Ahk smiles. "It is alright. I will see you back at the museum, alright?"

"Alright…"

He starts walking away. I turn to Larry and scowl. "What is it?"

The nightguard looks uncomfortable. "Florence…I heard Doctor McPhee talking yesterday. The museum is still low on money, so…he's had to sell one of the exhibits to the Smithsonian museum."

"Not Ahk!" I gasp.

Larry shakes his head sadly. "No. You."

My heart freezes. My mouth doesn't want to move. I end up just staring at Larry.

"I'm sorry," Larry says softly. "The Smithsonian wants you because apparently they don't have enough British exhibits."

"They can't send me away!" I cry. "I-It's not fair! I've only just found love!"

Larry winces. "Florence-."

"It's not fair!" I bury my head in my hands and begin to cry through the lump in my throat. My voice cracks as I cry, "It's not fair! I can't leave Ahk now! I-I love him! P-Please, isn't there something…?!"

Larry shakes his head sadly. "I'm so sorry, Florence. It's already been decided."

I swallow, but the lump in my throat remains there. "How long do I have?" I croak.

"You're due to be shipped out tomorrow morning," Larry tells me sadly. "I'm sorry."

"Tomorrow?!" I burst into tears. "I-I don't even get any time with Ahk?!"

Larry slowly shakes his head. "I'm sorry," he says again. "You should take this time to get your affairs in order."

"What time?!" I shriek. "There's only half an hour left until sunrise!"

"That time," Larry says softly, before getting up and walking away.

I watch him until he disappears into the snow, then I bury my head in my hands.

How am I going to tell Ahk…?


	17. Chapter 17

I don't take long to get back to the museum. It would have taken me longer because I'm still wrapping my head around the revelation that I will never see Ahk again after tonight, but BECAUSE of the aforementioned revelation, I know that every second I spend with him is precious.

When I get back, I can see Larry and Ahkmenrah outside the museum entrance, making sure all the exhibits are getting back safely. As I despondently approach, Ahk spots me and hurries over to me, his worried face melting into relief. He hugs me. "Florrie! Are you okay?"

I nod stiffly, not hugging him back, a fact that he picks up on. He pulls back, looking fearful. "Is everything okay?"

I inhale shakily. "Larry…hasn't told you anything, has he?"

Ahk frowns. "No… Why?"

"We…We need to talk…"

Ahk puts his arm around my shoulders. "Come, let us talk inside. You must be cold."

I nod miserably and allow him to lead me into the museum, past Larry, who wordlessly checks off my name on his list.

Ahk gently pulls me aside, where nobody can overhear us. He gently wipes the tears off my cheeks. "Florrie, what is going on?"

I swallow, the lump in my throat returning. "I… W-We cannot be together."

"What…?" Ahk stares at me, looking like he's been hit in the stomach. "Florrie…why?"

"Because I-I am leaving," I blurt out. "Th-The museum is transferring me t-to th-the Smith…Smithson…"

I don't manage to say the name of the museum, but Ahkmenrah clearly knows what I mean. He inhales sharply. "Florrie…?!"

"We can't be together," I sob, breaking down completely. "I-It's not fair…"

Ahk places two fingers under my chin and gently tilts my head up to look at him. Then he leans forward until our lips meet.

I never want to stop kissing Ahk. I love him, and I don't want to leave him. I'm terrified that if I leave now, he and I will forget about each other. We've only known each other for three days, if that.

"I love you, Florrie," Ahk says as he pulls back, tears glistening in his eyes. "Nothing will ever change that. Distance is just a number. While it IS unfair that we cannot spend any more time together, we will always be together in our hearts, and that is more important."

I break down in his arms, crying. It's not fair. It's really not fair. Some part of me hates myself for not discovering and helping Ahk sooner. But that same part of me hates myself for not doing the same things to Neil. I didn't even meet Neil until two nights before he left, in fifty years I spent alive at the museum.

 _You couldn't do anything. It's just fate._

I hate fate.

"I love you too," I croak.

"Five minutes until sunrise!" we hear Larry's voice call, echoing through the museum. "Five minutes, everyone!"

"I don't want to go," I cry.

"I know…" Ahk holds me tightly. "But _I_ must."

"N-No…please!" Even as I'm begging, I know it's unfair of me to prolong the agony for Ahk.

"I'm sorry…I-I have to."

Ahk takes my hand and lifts me up. Then he leads me to my pedestal in the foyer. "Goodbye, Ahk," I say softly. "I love you. And I will always love you."

"I love you too," Ahk says back, smiling. "Don't forget me."

"Not possible," I grin weakly. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Florrie."

With that, Ahk disappears into the corridor and out of sight.

Through the pain in my heart, I've just realised something terrifying.

I'm going to the Smithsonian. I'm not going to be here, where the tablet is, anymore.

I'm not going to come to life ever again.

And that's terrifying.

I'm never going to breathe again. I'm never going to talk again. I'm never going to laugh or sing or cry or feel emotions again.

Not only is it terrifying, but it's also sad. I'm never going to be able to express myself in any way again. I'll permanently be what I was made as: a statue. Wax. Lifeless. Non-moving.

Nothing.

I look across the foyer. Teddy is talking with Larry, as the first rays of the sun shine through the glass windows.

I muster a brave smile, as I face the end.

"Goodbye," I whisper.

And with that, I freeze.

Forever.

…

 **This was the final chapter! Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed; it means a lot to me!**

 **Special thanks to:**

 **Mythicalnightguard for offering your advice, for showing me your emotions, and for being there for me with this story :)**

 **Nightflame203 for reading and reviewing every chapter.**

 **And Arwenishtar, for your keen interest and amazing reviews! I always look forward to seeing how much you like each new chapter I post :D**


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